Igneel's Son
by nickoteen
Summary: Team Natsu just finished an S-Class mission, however, during that mission Natsu hears some unsettling news about a dragon that has taken residence in the mountains near Magnolia. The mission drained him to the point where he couldn't even bring his hopes up to believe that it was his missing father.
1. Distressing News

**AN: I do not own Fairy Tail, nor do I claim ownership.**

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Fairy Tail's most powerful group was just getting back from their S-Class mission. Brimming over with fatigue, they slowly dragged their feet back to the train station.

"All I want to do when I get home is take a bath." Lucy closed her eyes, imagining her ceramic tub filled with hot water. Natsu and Gray walked with their shoulders dropped and heads down, Happy resting on top of the fire dragon's head.

They boarded the train, one of the members of the group dreading the thought of transportation.

The stellar mage hurriedly walked to her apartment, missing the softness of her mattress and the privacy she wasn't able to attain with the weeklong mission.

"Ah, this week was so longgg." She complained as she unlocked her door to her room. "At least I have time to rest." She looked around her room before letting out a sigh.

_My room is empty _the thought glided across her cerebrum, causing a relaxed smile to manifest on her face. She stretched her arms to the sky before walking to her bathroom, looking back at her room to reinforce her confidence in her solitude.

She closed the door, and walked to her bathtub. "Finally some relaxation." The blonde sighed before turning on her bathtub on the hot setting. Stripping her body down from all her articles, she slowly tiptoed into the bathtub.

Her thoughts began to rise, the same rate of the steam in her tub. _That mission took a toll on everyone; even Natsu was silent on the way back. _She dipped her head into the water, only coming up to her nostrils. _That idiot… _Closing her eyes, she blew bubbles into the water.

She pulled the drain of the water, before stepping out toward her towel rack. Carefully, she opened her door to her bedroom with a towel wrapped around her waist. Her closet was already open as the blonde carefully chose to wear red panties with a pink t-shirt, her bed awaited her.

Walking toward her bed, she pulled the comforter back only enough to fit her slim but curvy figure into it. The curvy mage wedged in between the blankets, freezing up as she rubbed her leg against something weird. Immediately she scowled, pulling back the cover to reveal a sleeping Natsu and Happy curled up to his side.

Lucy looked at her partner, about to yell at him for using her bed unannounced once again, but stared at him instead.

He seemed so peaceful, so calm. "Natsu…" The spirit mage quietly shook him, making him stir as he slightly opened his eyes. "Oh, hey Luce, we were waiting fo-" his words trailing off as sleep started to recapture him. She shook him gently, causing his eyelids once again to ascend half-way.

"I hope you don't mind if we sleep here." His voice was slow, soothing. Lucy couldn't help but smile, before slipping more into her bed to meet his level. She could tell he was dead tired.

"I don't mind, Natsu." She knew how much the last mission took out of him, invoking sympathy in her heart for the fire mage and the blue Exceed. Though it was summer, cold air blew through the window Natsu left open, causing her to shiver. The dragon slayer was fast asleep. With no other choice, the blonde mage bundled herself with the blankets the best she could. "Igneel… where are you…" Natsu murmured in his sleep. Lucy's eyes immediately fell upon him, waiting for another silent outburst. "I miss you so much… why'd you have to lea…" his lips fell silent.

_He must be so hurt… _She slightly twitched, remembering that it was July. Her eyes filled with compassion as she stared at Natsu, her eyes scanning his unconscious features. She had the urge to wake him up once more, wanting to just stay up with him despite her weariness. Natsu was important to her, he was the one that first introduced her to Fairy Tail after all. Succumbing to the need, she moved her arm forward to shake him once more, opening his eyes sleepily for the third time.

"Don't fall asleep." Lucy commanded softly. He let out a small smile. "Lucy…" "What were you dreaming about?" She already had an idea. Natsu's face went blank, trying to recall. "I can't remember. Something about Igneel." Lucy began playing with his pink locks. "Don't do that, I'll fall asleep again." His voice gentle as his expression. He was so different this time of night, a far cry from how he typically represented himself at the guild. This Natsu was calm, like tranquility was what he practiced late into the evening. "It's that time of year huh." Lucy noticed Natsu's smile disappear, only to be replaced by a deepening frown. "I miss him, Lucy." His state so vulnerable, the stellar mage felt she had to be careful of what to say.

"I know Natsu, you'll find him someday." He fell silent, getting lost in his thoughts. The moonlight cascaded down onto his face, making her slightly blush as his face seemed to glow. She wanted to console him, make everything alright. Slowly, the beautiful mage scooted closer to him, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"What are you doing?" His expression changed from frown to confusion. "You're always there for me, Natsu. I want to be there for you too." She felt arms pushing on her back, as the spirit mage was enveloped in his presence. "Thank you for being there." He smiled as he closed his eyes.

"Remember when you were falling from the sky after we rescued you from being sacrificed to that clock?"

"Yeah, I remember."

"It was hard for me to find you."

"Why?"

"Because you looked just like all the other shooting stars." Natsu touched his forehead to Lucy's.

"That was so cheesy." She giggled, pulling him closer.

They both fell asleep simultaneously, hoping the feeling would last forever.

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**I'm thinking of continuing this, but I don't know if I should just stop and continue on a new story altogether. I was originally planning to make this a full story with like 20 chapters. But maybe just this would be good enough.**


	2. Time with Lucy

**AN: Yeah this may be a little awkward ha, I'm not the best at writing cute scenes. But let me know what you guys think.**

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The next morning, Lucy woke up to the pitter patter of rain hitting her window. _Natsu m_us_t have_ _closed it, knowing it would rain_. She smiled softly, loving the rain that occurred every once in awhile. Opening her eyes fully she froze to find the view of Natsu's chest right in front of her, but wrapped her arms around him for warmth.

_June gloom _the stellar mage thought to herself as the downpour seemed to fall even more, like Juvia had regained her name as the 'Rain Woman'. Lucy buried her head into Natsu's torso. "You know, as much as I yell and scream at you." She began saying in a hushed tone.

"I can't help but love everything about you." Her cheeks flushed as she ran her finger against his peck. Looking up at him, he had his lips parted and eyes closed fully.

Lucy Heartfilia began to get up but felt a tug on her wrist. Turning around, the sleeping fire mage didn't want her to leave. She smiled, only to uncurl his fingers and start walking toward her kitchen.

On her way, she stopped at the glance of something in the corner of her eye. "Hm?" She walked over to her desk that had a folded paper. Straightening out, she let out a gasp as she turned to look at Natsu, still in deep slumber. _My rent's been paid for the next year! _She couldn't help but squeal at the fact. Natsu had given his cut to Lucy, resulting in her total payout to be 840,000 Jewels.

Lucy set down the paper and wanted to jump on the fire mage. Who knew he could be so considerate. Slowly, she heard a rustling over at her bed; a groggy Happy woke up and stuck his paw up to greet the stellar mage. "Good morning, Lucy!" The blue Exceed hopped off the bed and started walking over to her. "Thanks for letting us have a sleepover!" She smiled, picking up Happy. "I'm going to make breakfast for you and Natsu."

"Aye!" Lucy knew he was going to want something fish related.

Natsu woke up to the smell of food, mixed with the scent of wet pavement. He peered out the window watching the water fall from the sky. He got up and began walking to the kitchen where he saw Lucy and Happy both at the table, with a plate ready for him.

Before he could sit down, Lucy gawked at his appearance, before her face turning red. "NATSU PUT ON SOME CLOTHES!" She yelled when his nude body was about to take a seat at the table. "I was naked last night, why does it matter now?" Her face intensified more with embarrassment as she came to the realization she slept with a nude Natsu. "I didn't know you were naked last night! Find your clothes!" He groaned before heading back to the bedroom in attempt look for his boxers, vest, and pants.

"I swear sometimes Natsu can be so stupid." Lucy muttered under her breath, "Aye." Happy agreed as he ate his raw fish.

Natsu came back with his pants on but not his vest, Lucy sighed as she knew that was the best it was going to get. "Let's see what we have here, bacon, eggs, toast, and orange juice. You really outdid yourself Lucy!" Natsu gave his trademark grin as he dove into the food. _Natsu's back to his old, dense self. _Lucy glared at him before going back to eat her breakfast. "We should take another job today!" the dragon slayer said in between bites.

"It's raining outside." Lucy calmly replied to her partner. "Like a little water is going to stop me!" The fire dragon exclaimed, revealing sparks flying from his mouth. "Well we'll head to the guild to see what everyone's doing." Natsu diverted his gaze down, remembering what he heard during their recent mission. Lucy immediately noticed his demeanor shift.

"Natsu…" He looked back up and grinned at her. "C'mon Luce, what are you waiting for!" He got up sharply, before taking his plate to the sink along with Happy's. Lucy realized she still had a bunch of food left on her plate. _He's a freak when it comes to eating… _Lucy exhaled noisily, before scarfing down her food.

Lucy came out into her bedroom only to find Natsu and Happy reading one of her manuscripts. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" She hit them both on top of the head before snatching her incomplete novel. "You don't just go and read other people's stuff!" Natsu and Happy both rubbed their heads. "I don't see what the big deal is; your book is pretty good!" He said with a forced smile, before whispering to Happy, "It's not that good." Lucy's eye twitched at the statement Natsu discreetly said to his cat before hitting him over the head again. "You don't even read! How would you know what's good!" Lucy's anger searing through her clenched teeth.

"I'm taking a bath. I better not see you two peeking through my stuff." She heard Natsu groan before shutting him off with the bathroom door. _What am I going to doooo _Lucy thought to herself as she once again turned on her bathtub. _He always invades my privacy. _The stellar mage took off her clothes before hopping into tub. Suddenly, she heard a loud *thump* before jumping quickly. She got out of the bath, wrapped a towel around her, and opened the door swiftly to investigate what the destructive dragon slayer did. She examined her room only to find that nothing was wrong. "Natsu!" she shouted, but heard no response. She walked to her kitchen to inspect there.

_Nothing? What the helk? _The spirit mage was confused, before shrugging it off thinking it was the thunder. She walked back with her eyes closed, dropping her towel and dipping her body back into the water. It felt warmer than before. "I hope Natsu's okay…" she worded into the water. "What are you talking about Luce?" She looked up to see Natsu and Happy both bathing with her.

The naked blonde's face dead panned, before her face turning a million shades of red. Natsu was grinning with his scarf wrapped around his forehead, and Happy floating with just a hot towel on his head. "GET OUT!" She yelped before covering all her feminine parts. Natsu and the blue feline flinched before trying to explain. "C'mon Lucy, I used to bathe with Erza and the snowman all the time!" Lucy's expression didn't waver as she kicked him square in the face.

"I don't care; you're not bathing with me!" Her eyes teary-eyed with embarrassment. "I gave you my whole cut from the last mission; the least you can do is let me enjoy this too!" "I didn't ask you to give it to me!"

Natsu grabbed Lucy's shoulders before turning her away from him and pulling her closer. Lucy fell silent as her cheeks blushed deeply; he set her in between his legs and began to massage her shoulders. "What are you-"was all she could say before the soothing kneading captured her silence.

As the fire mage performed his reflexology into her shoulder blades, Lucy let out a breath.

She leaned into him more, her vision becoming a little hazy, unclear on whether it was from the steam or her consciousness fading. "You're lucky I'm letting you stay here." She cringed as the fire dragon hit a sensitive nerve. "I've never bathed with anyone else other than Cana." Natsu rotated his fingers underneath her lymph nodes. "Well thanks for trust me!" He grinned widely. _If Natsu wasn't known for having the purest intentions, this would be a different story. _Happy floated contently, not caring about anything in the world. She leaned into his frame, catching Natsu off guard but then wrapped his arms around her.

_I could stay like this forever. _

Lucy blushed, closing her eyes. "Natsu"

"Yeah?"

She paused, Natsu waiting for her reply.

"…Why'd you stop?" Lucy grinned as he groaned, putting his hands back on her shoulders.

She pulled Happy's relaxed body toward her, streamlining him against the water, encaging him in her arms. _What am I doing, _the spirit mage thought while furrowing her eyebrows. _I should still be yelling at him, but it feels like we've done this a hundred times. _Lucy found herself getting accustom to Natsu.

They both began to get ready; taking the necessary preparations to accommodate the drizzle, which for Natsu, there was none. Lucy came out of the bathroom with a light pink jacket, a white shirt, and jeans. Natsu wore his typical attire, along with Happy. "Ready Luce?"

They headed out quickly, trying to get out of the rain. They rushed into the guild hall, immediately noticing the cuddling frenzy that laid out before them.


	3. The Last Night

The guild was teaming with couples, as if Mirajane's shipping ideas had turned into a spell, and was casted all over Fairy Tail.

Natsu looked around in confusion, while Lucy tugged on his arm to find a table. Happy had made his way over to Charles, who smiled softly seeing his presence.

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!" The dragon slayer was seemingly having trouble adapting to the new paradigm that had overtaken the league. "Keep it down flame brain, everyone's just in the mood to cuddle since the weather." An enamored Juvia looked up at Gray in affection, not realizing that her ability to make it drizzle caused something other than feeling _gloomy_.

"So you're all just paired up because of the rain?" Natsu's bewilderment was struck all over his face as Gray let out a sigh, then nodded. "That's stupid." Gray ignored the oblivious pink haired mage and wrapped the blanket over him and Juvia tighter while sitting at the table.

Natsu and Lucy took a seat at the table where Juvia and Gray were huddled up at, while Lucy looked over and jumped a little, not realizing Jellal and Erza were in the same position as the ice and water mage.

They hadn't said a word at Natsu's flare-up; even the great Titania was too relaxed to change her expression. "Lu-chan!" a petite blue mage walked over with the iron dragon, hand in hand. "Oh, hi Levy!" Lucy turned to meet her friend's presence, smiling. "Have you finished writing your book yet? I'm dying to read it!" Lucy felt a bead of sweat on the back of her head as she mustered a crooked smile.

"I'm still working on it; I haven't been able to get anything done because of this idiot_._" She put her hand on top of Natsu's head, which was resting on the table in dismay.

"Just let me know when you're done, you promised that I'd be the first one to read it." Levy gave a wink, while Gajeel was looking to the side until he looked down at the fire mage. "Hey Salamander, why aren't you and bunny girl cuddling like the rest of us?" Gajeel snickered when he Natsu's fist clench.

He looked up at the iron eater, before smiling. "Lucy and I took a bath together this morning!" was all it took before the atmosphere of Fairy Tail shifted its focus to the blonde and pinkette. Lucy's face imitated that of a tomato, while Natsu rubbed the back of his head with a huge grin.

Even Gajeel blushed a little at his declaration, while Levy's eyes widened, focusing her gaze on Lucy. "IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" the blonde pouted loudly, yet the members of Fairy Tail maintained their gaze. "About time." Gray snickered, causing the entire guild to erupt in laughter.

"C'mon Luce, it wasn't that bad was it?" Lucy turned away from Natsu, twiddling her thumbs together while looking down in humiliation. Levy and Gajeel smiled at each other and walked back to their place in the guild.

Erza and Jellal still un-phased. Natsu stared at Lucy, _What's her deal? All we did was take a bath together, that's what partners do! _He decided to let her be, while getting up and walking over to the request board.

There were jobs plastered all over the board, even some on top of others due to the lack of space. "Hey, why isn't anyone taking a job? There are so many!" Natsu turned around facing everyone.

"It's raining!" Everyone in unison shouted back before returning to their embrace. Natsu grumbled to himself before turning back to request board, scanning over job types and reward money. None of them seemed appealing to the dragon slayer, some jobs were just boring, some of them didn't have enough reward money, and some of them didn't even make any sense to him.

He walked back with a depressed look on his face before saying, "C'mon Lucy, we can head back to your place, nothing is going on here." Lucy frowned before accepting fact that Natsu was right. Fairy Tail just didn't feel like Fairy Tail today.

She got up and began walking next to Natsu, who was disappointed that there was nothing to do. He glanced over at Happy who had been trying to share a fish with Charles, who was ungratefully declining.

He smiled before walking out with blonde mage, only to be sure that it was going to be awhile until he saw them again.

Back at Lucy's apartment, she walked back to her dresser while Natsu sprawled out on her bed with his hands behind his head. "Close your eyes." She instructed the pink mage as he did what he was told. She undressed herself and put on her pjs. Looking over at the already knocked out dragon slayer, she walked over to him and lied down onto the bed.

_Today's such a lazy day… _Lucy thought to herself as she stared at Natsu's tender face. _Has he always been so handsome? _Her thoughts were clouded with pictures of her partner, all the memories of their battles, his unwavering determination to handle any and every conflict.

He aroused on her bed, before turning to stare at her. Her face reddened at the sudden action, looking down before meeting his gaze. She saw something then, something off about Natsu.

"Natsu what's wrong?" He shuddered faintly, before biting down. He was hiding something, and Lucy already had an idea. "You're going to look for him, aren't you…" Her question was worded as such, but sounded like a statement. Her query echoed in his ears before closing his eyes.

"He might be there Luce, and I can't miss this opportunity." She knew his stubbornness was going to rear its head. She remained silent, hardening her gaze at her best friend, though he was unaware of it. "You always go off when you hear these rumors. If Igneel wanted to be found, he would've found y-"

"You don't know anything about Igneel!" Lucy's eyes widened at Natsu's sudden outburst, making her regret the words she had spoken. His gaze bore into her, making her feel transparent. "I'm going to find him." He turned to face the ceiling, his eyes unrelenting with what seemed to be anger… no…. sadness.

"I want to come with you." Lucy quietly murmured before Natsu shot her a glance that had softened. "I have to do this alone."

"No, it's too dangerous."

"Exactly why I can't bring you."

"Stop being so stubborn! You need my support!"

Lucy was becoming flustered, frustration boiling up inside her as she hopelessly argued with her best friend. "You can't go alone, I don't care what yo-" Natsu grabbed her and pulled her into his arms, making her gasp in surprise. "Luce…" He hugged her tighter, wanting to feel her soft skin against his own.

"You're important to me."

Lucy smiled softly before wrapping her arms around his frame, a surge of warmth filled her externally and internally. She found herself falling asleep; realizing the only sounds she could hear was the sound of Natsu's breathing and the tapping of rain on the window.

Natsu woke her once more when he turned her over and wrapped his arms around her slim waist, and rested his head on top of hers. Five minutes of silence went by, before it was broken by Natsu's soft snoring. Lucy couldn't help nuzzle into his presence and intertwined her legs with his.

She fell asleep unknowing that, that was Natsu's last night with her for awhile.


	4. The Departure

**AN: What's up guys, this chapter is pretty short, but I feel like it's key. Chapter 5 will be put up very soon to those who are following my story, thanks again! **

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With the rain playing its soft melody, Natsu's eyes sprung open in the middle of the night, he had never fallen asleep.

With an unconscious Lucy in his arms, he began to unwind his grasp on her, causing her to let out a soft sigh and re-position herself into a comfortable pose.

He stared at her with sorrow in his eyes, wishing that he could bring her with him. _I don't know what I'd do if I let her get hurt. _He managed to get up and look at her again, bending down to softly place a kiss on her exposed forehead.

"I'll see you later Luce." He straightened up before heading to her apartment's front door, opening it ever so slightly, hoping it wouldn't make any creaking noises.

His eyes wandered over to her one last time, before shutting it quietly and giving the knob a twist to make sure it was securely locked.

He traveled down the street in the pouring rain, feeling his stomach growl at the fact that he hadn't eaten at all in the last 14 hours. He saw a 24 hour diner with the 'Open' sign blinking on and off. The fire mage made his way over to it, knowing that this would be his last meal in Magnolia for a long time.

At the Magnolia train station, he looked for the direct line that would take him to the outskirts of Magnolia and near the mountains where the supposed dragon resided.

_I'm going to search for awhile. _The fire dragon knew that he wasn't going to just stop at the mountains, he was going to search everywhere, explore the vast lands of Fiore, in hopes that if he does stumble upon a relative of Igneel, he may find his dragon father himself.

The train pulled into the station as Natsu frowned deeply, dreading the locomotive's blight it had on him. He boarded it.

The dragon slayer looked around for an empty boxcar, knowing all too well that he wanted to be left alone on this journey.

Taking a seat with his gear beside him, he waited for the train to move while peering out the window. _This rain is not letting up_ the thought lingered in his head as to why it had rained for two days straight without any intermissions.

_Lucy… _He couldn't stop feeling guilty about leaving his partner in her vulnerable state. _I know I did the right thing! I can't put my nakama in danger! _He wanted a second opinion, even if it was his own.

His reassurance didn't last long as the curse of dragon slayers overtook him, the train steadily making its way along the track. His mouth filled with his regurgitated breakfast before swallowing it back down.

He actually wished Erza was there to punch him in the gut to knock him out. _I haven't even thought of everyone I'm leaving behind in Fairy Tail… _ Natsu peered down realizing that he hadn't been himself lately.

_Lucy, Happy, Erza, hell, even that ice bastard, I'm gonna miss them. Everyone at Fairy Tail. _He wanted to fall asleep, since he hadn't slept all night while with Lucy. He closed his eyes, remembering the train was going to be there in three hours.

With that fact, he began to drift, the motion sickness easing as the distraction of melatonin became his focus.

Natsu woke up quietly in a grass plain that was as lush and green as the pupils of Mavis Vermillion. He arose slowly, propping himself up on his elbows.

The scene was breath-taking; mountains that were capped with snow in the distance, the meadow waving at him like they were welcoming him to their home. The sky was dotted with clouds, the sun radiating its rays through every available space.

Mother Nature had changed her stormy mood to an illuminated smile. _Everything here is so peaceful _as the thought crossed his mind; he picked up a familiar aroma behind him.

Turning around, Natsu saw his partner, adorned in an all white dress, flowing perfectly in sync with the waves of wind that hit her. He analyzed the beautiful conjurer, his jaw dropped as he saw her walking closer to him.

"Luce?" was all that came out of his mouth before she kneeled next to him. She planted a kiss on his cheek, before standing up once more. He gasped as he saw the lone tear stream down her face.

"Goodbye Natsu." She walked away from him. "Wait!" All he could focus on was her, chasing after her as she seemed to further herself away from him.

He woke up quietly, only to see the empty seat across from him. He his ear was on something soft and his scalp felt a tingling sensation. Natsu looked up, his gaze hazy and riddled with sleep. He saw her.

"Lucy…"

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**Hope you guys liked this short chapter. :) share with me your thoughts!**


	5. Surprise!

**AN: Hey guys, sorry this chapter took so long, I wasn't sure to play on the effects of a restless Natsu or not, but I did. This chapter is pretty redundant, but I wanted to keep realistic. So, let me know what you guys think!**

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"Lu- Lucy!" Natsu got up hastily as his gaze stood steady on the celestial mage. "Wha-what are you doing here?" He couldn't help fumbling his words.

"I told you I was coming with you." She said sternly, her arms folded across her chest, which inadvertently made them appear bigger. Natsu grabbed her hand and stood up.

"You're getting off at the next stop." Lucy's smile turned devious when Natsu tried pulling her.

"The next stop is your destination." She stated with a slight tone of victory. Natsu glared before the motion sickness took over him, falling back into his seat. Lucy pulled him over and laid his head down on her lap.

"There, there." She then commenced running her fingers through his pink locks, his sickness easing up, but not his resolve. "See? What would you do without me?" The stellar mage kept a small smile while looking at her best friend's uncomfortable expression. "I still don't want yo-" his mouth filled up once more, before forcing it back down.

"Best not overdo it like you always do, Natsu." She continued to stroke his head, but he knew that she was just mocking him in his useless condition.

The train pulled into the station, alerting Natsu that it was time for his partner to leave him. After grabbing his gear, he got up and took her hand, practically forcing her to come off the train. "You're taking the next train back to Magnolia." His voice deep, with a hint of darkness.

"And what if I say no?"

"You have no choice."

"You can't make me, Natsu."

"You're not coming."

"Yes I am."

"I'm not taking you with me!"

"Well I'm not leaving you!"

Natsu grind-ed his teeth, realizing that Lucy's tenacity rivaled that of his own. "You can't go look by yourself, we're a team Natsu! That means we act and operate as a team! You're the one who told me that!"

Natsu shuddered at his own words vocalized by Lucy's tone. He looked at her, his eyes deepening as he was coming to terms of why he didn't want Lucy following him.

"Luce, I couldn't bear it if something happened to you." He looked down, his hands in his pockets, waiting for the blonde's response.

"Then protect me." His eyes shot up at her unexpected response. "I…" He was trying to think of reasons why he couldn't, but nothing came up.

_I can't let her come… because I'd be putting her in danger… but I'd rather have her here with me._ _She could be in just as much danger if she headed back to the guild and took a mission without me..._For the first time in awhile, Natsu Dragneel processed information in a logical way.

After a long moment of deafening silence, Natsu looked up at her, grinning as if he hadn't seen her in ages.

"Okay Luce, you can come." Lucy smiled widely as she hugged the dragon slayer as tightly as she could. He flinched, surprised that she hugged him, but wrapped his arms around her, smiling to himself.

The pair began to walk the dirt road in silence, as the rain stopped before they even got to the station. They saw a small inn up ahead; a sigh of relief was heard from the blonde mage, before Natsu turned to look at her.

"What's _your_ problem?" He didn't deny that the only thing he wanted to do right now was sleep in a bed since he hadn't gotten that much sleep on the train.

"I didn't sleep last night." He raised an eyebrow at the familiar problem. "You were sleeping when I left."

"Yeah, that would explain why I was able to board the train the same time you did." Her sarcastic tone ever so prevalent. He bore an angry glare at her, while she warded it off by sticking out her tongue.

They arrived at the inn, which had a relatively 'old' feel to it. The inn was done up in a polished wood finish, that left the floors looking pretty slick. The check-in desk was brownish as well, matching the décor of the matured style inn. Walking up to the front desk, the eager dragon slayer rang the bell until a little old man came stumbling in.

"What, what, I'm right here!" Natsu stopped, "Hey we'd like a room here please." He grinned, oh how Lucy loved to see his grin. It felt like ages when she had last seen it, though realistically it was just a few moments ago, and she was alleviated that her pinkette was back to himself.

Paying 5000 jewel for the night, the old man handed the overly eccentric dragon a key to their room before taking Lucy's hand and rushing upstairs to see their temporary living quarters.

Natsu rushed down the hall, pulling Lucy like a ragged doll flopping in the wind left by her partner.

He stopped unexpectedly, spotting the door with their room number. Lucy collided into him, but Natsu was unmoved. He walked inside, before dropping his gear to the floor.

The stellar mage got up, rubbing her head before looking into the room, surprised because it was nicer than she expected. There within the room, there was a dresser against on the west wall, a mirror attached on top. The north wall was the patio door, with an amazing view of the mountains.

Before she could take in more of the room, she found Natsu asleep on the bed, faced down into the pillows. Two nightstands were placed adjacent on each side of the bed, symbolizing couples stayed in this room.

She didn't mind people perceiving her and Natsu as a couple now, in fact, she wanted people thinking they were an item, she knew she loved him for awhile now. How could she not? Everything he's done for her, how much time they spend together, it all registered in her mind.

Breathing out a sigh, the blonde mage began rummaging through her things to find sleeping clothes. She walked to the bathroom, clothes in hand, and initiated getting ready for bed.

She propped herself on the bed next to Natsu, who's soft snores could already be heard and felt against her skin. The sun was shyly peeking out behind the mountain top.

_My sleeping schedule is going to be so off, _she glanced at the fire mage before turning over and scooting into him.

Instinctively, Natsu coiled his arms around her, causing her to slightly flinch, but not enough to wake the sleeping Salamander.

Her movement, did however, cause the sleeping mage to readjust his position, moving one of his from her stomach to her chest.

The beating of her heart quickly multiplied when she felt his hand over her soft bosom.

Natsu licked his lips unconsciously, Lucy's eyes still enlarged but remained stationary.

She slowly moved one of her hands to Natsu's idle hand, but couldn't move it as he grasped harder.

The beautiful mage let out a small moan, but rapidly tried to withdraw it. She gave up, and rested her eyes.

They both fell asleep, searching for Igneel would commence later on in the day.

* * *

**AN: Not sure if this is still a rating of T since I added in that last part, but hopefully I don't get deleted:).**


	6. Threat

**AN: Hey guys, thanks for your patience. This chapter is pretty long, so it should keep you tide over until I write pt. 2 and 3 later on tonight. Thanks for reading!**

* * *

The wind whistled through the window, the curtains waltzing with each other quietly, not waking Natsu or Lucy. Natsu grinded his teeth softly, pulling Lucy closer toward him. Inside Natsu's head, he dreamed. Igneel and he were having a friendly conversation, the years of his absence not existing in dream time.

"Natsu, what's most important to you?" His father's tone changing distinctively. The two fire dragons sat on top of a mountain, within a chasm. That chasm was smoldering over with igneous rocks and stalagmites. The skies crimson red, with clouds sailing across trying to reach their direction with their one way ticket.

Natsu sat in silence, his leg crossed over his other. _Most important to me? My friends! My guild! _He thought to himself like it was the easiest question in the world. "Fairy Tail is most important to me!" Igneel softly smiled; though it didn't look soft as his smile had the width of four Natsu's put together.

"That's not what I mean." The pink haired mage was stricken with confusion. "Who's the most special person in your life?" Igneel's son looked down slowly in thought. _The most special person in my life…? _

"It'd have to be you, Igneel. You're the one who raised me." The two sat in silence, processing the information. The king of fire dragons looked at Natsu straight in the face; his pupils narrowing and his scales hardening. "You hold a special place in my heart, Natsu. And I'm sure the same goes for you. But, there is someone that is more important than even me."

The mage began furrowing his eyebrows, this had been the most thinking he'd done in awhile. "Who?"

Natsu felt the dream ending, as the surroundings began to warp and morph into nothingness. "Igneel, who?!" His eyes were searching his father for an answer, a hint, anything! He needed to know who was more important than his own dad. "One day, you're going to realize that the person most important to you will hold your strength. That's when you will know your true power."

Igneel was the last thing that started fading. His words becoming more and more embedded into the young mage's subconscious. "Wait, Igneel! I still have questions!" His father only smiled at his son's desperate curiosity, uttering the three words that Natsu's conscious demanded be told. His eyes pleading to be given some kind of closure, which he received.

"I love you." Natsu's eyes widened at his father's farewell, then soon welled up with tears, his knees buckled until they gave way. His father had dissolved into oblivion.

"Igneel, where are you?!... Where are you…" He pounded his fist into the ground; the water from his tears began to spread on the floor. Only then had he remembered that he hasn't seen his dragon dad in years. "Igneel,.." The egress of the dragon only made Natsu's heartache relentless. "I miss you so much! I've searched for you everywhere, only to find nothing!"

"Natsu…" the pinkette raised his head, his reddened eyes widened to the full extent searching his environment unremittingly. He knew he heard his name called, though it was faint.

"Natsu." It became closer now, more dissimilar. It wasn't Igneel's, regrettably, but it had a familiar ring to it.

"Natsu!"

The fire mage woke up in a cold sweat, only to find Lucy's loving face staring up at him. She was concerned, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. "You were dreaming about Igneel again, weren't you?"

Once again, the dragon mage couldn't recall what it was he was dreaming about specifically, but knew that he felt strong feelings toward his father. "Yeah…" He breathed out; looking above the blonde's head to see it was 5:14 p.m.

"I didn't mean to wake you, Luce." The spirit mage smiled, but then did something unexpected. She wiped the stray tear off of Natsu's cheek. The pink mage lightly touched his cheek before focusing his gaze on the beautiful blonde.

"Are you hungry?" He smiled half-heartedly, not wanting to see Lucy sad, but still resonating on the recent dream. She let out a soft yes before sitting up. Natsu imitated the action, getting out of bed and looked out the patio glass door. _I'm going to find you._

* * *

Natsu and Lucy made their way through town in search of a decent restaurant; the town was small, very few amounts of people were seen along their stroll. The sky still tinted with a light gray, as the endless stream of clouds swallowed the blue whole.

A comfortable silence distilled the mood they were both feeling. With his hands behind his head, the dragon tried to sniff the air for any scents that resembled cooking food. Lucy walked along him, playing a game where she couldn't step on any cracks on the ground.

He got a hold of a strong aroma that seemed to be… barbeque. "I found something!" Breaking the hush as Natsu pulled Lucy's wrist toward the intoxicating smell.

They arrived at a small restaurant that read, "Grilled BBQ", the building was one story, with specials being illustrated in the window. "Buy a bowl of steak; get another bowl for half off!" "Get three miso soups, the fourth one free!" and "50% any purchase after 6:00 p.m.". The fire dragon's mouth was watering, not at the specials, but at the menu they had listed on the wall.

"Fire food…" Lucy looked at her partner with a slight frown, annoyed that she was dragged along like a doll. "Let's eat here Luce!" His voice and tone had gone back to the normal state she was used to. It didn't take long for the stellar mage's best friend to become the enthusiastic person she remembered the very first day they met.

She let out a soft sigh and smiled, "Sure."

They walked out, the sky darkened with only the illuminating moon arraying its tender light. The clouds finally cleared from the skyline, revealing the soft glow of the stars. They reflected off the keys dangling from Lucy's hip.

Natsu and his nakama walked steadily back to the inn they were staying at, before realizing they were being followed. Lucy began to shadow her hand over her keys, Natsu walked progressively, waiting for their pursuers to make the first move.

Two men walked in front of Natsu and Lucy, two more men staggered to the back. Natsu and Lucy stop, both feeling content their stomachs were full. The men stared at them waiting for a fearful response to their presence, only to find they were completely calm. "Look at the cute couple. Makes me almost a little sad that I have to rob you both." One of the men spoke up with a dark grin etched across his face. Natsu's expression remained stoic, while Lucy bore an angry expression at the man.

"Just leave us alone." Lucy finally spoke on both their behalves. "Welllll, aren't you a cutie." He eyed her lustfully, before continuing. "How about you ditch pinky and come to our side? We'll take _real _good care of ya." The man was so focused on Lucy he didn't see Natsu standing right next to him.

Immediately, Natsu covered the man's face with his hand, engulfing it in flames. The man let out a blood curling scream, before the heat from Natsu's hand dissipated. He fell to the ground with a horrified look on his face, while the fire mage's expression was covered with a shadow. All the man could see were the red beams that had replaced Natsu's eyes.

"You're him! You're Salamander!" The man recognized the red guild mark placed on Natsu's right shoulder. He shuddered as Salamander's face came closer to him, his eyes still red. "If you ever talk to her like that again." He paused, noticing the violent trembling the man was doing, like he was giving off mini shockwaves. "You'll be turned to ashes." His tone was slow, emphasizing every word so they had their own effect.

The man scrambled to his feet, running for his life followed by his partner. The two men behind began to try to sneak up on the distracted spirit mage, before Natsu turned his head slowly and shot them the same evil glare.

"Touch her and you die." Lucy turned around quickly, only to see the two men frozen in time. Their knees shaking so fast that it wouldn't be surprising if they snapped from under them. "We- we're gonna ge- get the bos- boss, you'll se- see!" They stuttered over every word, but their assertion interested to fire mage.

"I'll wait right here." Lucy looked at Natsu in shock; she didn't think he'd care. "Natsu, don't waste your time, if their boss is anything like them, it wouldn't even be a match for you." Lucy fed his ego spoonful by spoonful, but he didn't take the bait. "No, meet us at the northern forest half a mile from here."

Natsu watched as they scurried off and away. Lucy had a bunch of thoughts flowing through her mind. _What if this is a trap? What if their boss is a lot stronger than we think? _She was scared, not because of losing their money, but if Natsu got hurt…

"Don't worry Luce." He put his hand on top of her head, smiling like nothing happened. "I won't let anything happen to you." He found himself saying that to her a lot. But it was true; he would rather die than to let Lucy get hurt. He knew that to him, Lucy was more to important than anything in his life right now.

"It's not me I'm worried about…" she let out a whisper as he began trotting forward; not even his dragon hearing picked it up. She caught up to him as they began walking the path to the wooded region.

They came up to a clearing that was perfect as a battle ground, and found the same four men, but a fifth one standing in the middle, Lucy presumed it was their leader.

"I heard you gave my men some trouble." The leader spoke, breaking the silence that slowly began to build up. "Your men had surrounded us and demanded for our money!" Lucy sputtered out, her eyebrows forced down into an angry appearance.

Natsu remained silent, bearing the same detached watch as the boss began walking toward them. "Yeah you get them boss!" "Make them pay!" "Our boss is a mage too!" the background filled with the henchmen's voices, talking up the boss to boost his self-image. Natsu was un-phased, Lucy absorbed the confidence radiating off of Natsu.

The man stopped, staring down at Natsu's vacant stare. "We all have to make a living somehow."

"Not by stealing from other people! You need to get a job!" Lucy scolded the leader; he was taken aback for a second, only to harden his resolve. "Listen, I don't want to hurt you two, but I know Fairy Tail mages make good money." Lucy almost burst out laughing; remembering the struggle it is to barely make her rent every month.

"Where'd you hear that?" Lucy stifled a laugh, but was cut off when he sent a punch flying towards her. She flinched, waiting for the contact that never reached, because of the fire mages hand. She then glanced at Natsu, who's expression returned to malevolence. "You're finished." Natsu's protective nature roared.


	7. Repercussions

The boss struggled to pull his hand away from Salamander's grasp, staring Natsu down with resentment. "This is just between you and me." Natsu then turned to his partner, motioning her to stay back.

"If we were work together, we can beat this guy!" Lucy's fists were brought up to her chest, pleading that Natsu's mulish mentality wouldn't vocalize itself.

"No, I'm taking this guy out on my own."

Lucy's perception was giving her a bad feeling; she didn't know how to convey it over to her pink headed partner however. She bit down, hoping that she was wrong.

"Dark Speed." The leader put his hands together, curling his fingers around each other before seeping down into the very ground below him. Natsu watched in angry confusion. "You can't run!"

To that, the leader simply chuckled before his whole silhouette disappeared completely. "You're gonna get it now!" The face singed henchman jeered to the perplexed fire mage, before analyzing his surroundings as well as Lucy.

He maintained a steady eye on her before her expression changed sharply.

"Natsu look out!" The leader arose from Natsu's own shadow and sent an uppercut his way. The pinkette flew 8 feet into the air before the leader teleported under him, Natsu still not recovering from the blow.

"Dark Grapple!" The illicit man once again put his hands together and a dark substance emitted from the grasped palms. It surrounded Natsu and sent him hurling into the trees behind Lucy. He skidded 30 feet along the ground, breaking down any trees that were unfortunate enough to be in his way.

Lucy looked on in horror, disbelieving the strength of the group's boss. Said man landed back onto the ground with effortlessness. "Fire Dragon's Roar!" a hurling wave of fire zipped through the trees, on target with the leader.

"Shade." The area around him darkened before being engulfed in flames, Natsu came walking out of the forest, to inspect the damage done to the group's superior. Once the flames dissolved, the man stood there, unscathed with a smirk on his lips.

"WHY CAN'T I HURT HIM!" Natsu yelled between his teeth, his fists clenched so tightly his nails broke the skin of his palms. "You haven't figured it out yet? I use darkness, and right now it's night. You'll never win."

"Woo! Yeah you go boss! Show them the power of our group!"

Natsu and the leader were eyeing each, the pinkette grinding his teeth with the frustration that started to build. Suddenly, he sprung up with an idea. _If he uses darkness… I just need to give off some light! _He lit his hands on fire, releasing a huge amount of magic gradually. Lucy stared at Natsu, wondering what was going through her partner's head.

The fire on the mage's hands grew bigger, before they started getting smaller. The stellar mage was mystified by the action, why was Natsu trying to make his flames smaller? Or was he running out of magic already?

The fire cackled as they began to condense, burning off a much brighter light than before. Natsu had condensed the fire into two small balls that orbited in his hand.

_They look like… suns?! _Lucy smiled carefully at her best friend's brilliant idea, impressed that he came up with it. The group's leader eyed Natsu in anger, before the dragon threw the two suns up in the air, where they radiated an even more intense glow.

"It's over." Natsu spoke quietly right next to the distracted leader; sending a punch directly to his stomach and feeling it connect. Satisfaction finally settled itself in the fire mage's mind.

The man bent over, gasping out over Natsu's fist. The pinkette withdrew his hand, and the man toppled over. He peered over at the group's faces that looked on in astonishment. "How?!" One of the members cried out, before falling to his knees.

"Now, I better not see your faces here ever again." The group dashed away in fright, Natsu watched as one of them tripped and fell, before scrambling to get up and continue his action. He turned to see his beaming partner… but she was gone.

He searched the area that she had been standing at, his heart beginning to race at her inexplicable absence. "Lucy!" He yelled out but no response. He searched the whole area; the dark mage was gone as well. His eyes widened at his epiphany, and he began running toward the where the scared group trailed off to.

His feet were gliding over the ground quickly before they just… stopped. He looked down, frustrated even more so. He felt himself collapse. _What is this?! _A dark magic circle surrounded him as he felt his energy leaving his body. _NO! _The fire mage struggled to break away, but to no avail.

A voice began filling his conscious. _You will meet us at Mount Dragil if you want to rescue the girl, you will bring no one. _Natsu fell onto the ground after the message had ended, consciousness leaving him.

"LUCY!" Natsu awoke sharply in bed, his face searing with anger. He scrutinized his environment, making sure that no one was with him. The hotel room he awoke in was completely empty, so he tried to get of bed, but realized he was hand-cuffed to the headboard. "LET ME OUT OF HERE!" The door swung open with a plethora of familiar faces. His face lightened a little to see them here, but saddened that he had to meet them again under these circumstances. "You sure got yourself into a mess this time, eh flame brain?" The raven headed mage coolly said, taking a seat next Natsu's bed.

The dragon didn't laugh however, he didn't even smile. "Lucy's been kidnapped" was all that he uttered before everyone's face deepened with a frown. "We know." Erza stood in front of the bed with her arms folded across chest, bearing a poignant countenance. "Are you okay, Natsu?" Happy hopped onto his best friend's lap, staring up at him with big eyes.

Natsu wasn't okay; his nakama had been taken from him. His bandages that covered his arms and legs were just a reminder of his failure. He swore he wouldn't let anything happen to her, and he broke that promise.

He was so lost in his thought he didn't notice Wendy to his left, healing him with a saddened demeanor, while Charles stood next to her. Gajeel and Levy sat on the couch; the iron dragon had his eyes closed with his typical scowl. Levy… Levy was crying severely. It rang in Natsu's ears and burned his being.

"Let me go, I have to go rescue her!"

"Don't be an idiot; we need to come up with a plan!" Gray retorted at the fire dragon's adamancy.

"Your magic has been drained, Natsu. You're not strong enough to face them." Mavis appeared among the fold, Natsu's eyes widened at the presence of the first master. "I have to save her!"

The Fairy Tactician smiled softly at the bandaged dragon, "We will, I have a plan."


	8. Cruelty

**AN: Hey guys, sorry it's been awhile. But, I had to change the rating of this chapter, because of highly illicit imagery. Sorry if this bugs you guys, but I thought it'd be better to add this scene into the story, because it's going to make the ending that much sweeter. **

* * *

**An hour later…**

"Everyone understand the plan?" The Fairy Tactician peered over the mages' faces in front of her, then to Natsu. Everyone nodded, "Right!" The dragon slayer, however, remained silent in thought. Mavis turned around to face him on the bed, her eyes and lips devoid of emotion. "You're coming with me." The Fairy Tail mages began exiting the room, ready to commence the plan.

Mavis released the cuffs that bonded the dragon, rubbing his wrist to ease the previous chaffing. He looked up at her, silent. His pink hair fell over his face, shadowing any expression he may have been showing. The small master frowned, "We're going to get her back, Natsu."

His gaze was fixed on his bandaged legs, _how could I let this happen… _

His memories of Lucy being kidnapped in the past, forced themselves to surface, causing the young fire mage to grit his teeth and close his eyes.

Mavis walked up to him, a consoling smile reached her lips. She lightly touched his shoulder, bringing him out of his trance. He looked up at her, his eyes reddened from the recollections of his best friend.

* * *

The cell was dark and hollow, the smell of metal and blood filling the thinned air. The blonde found herself bound to rusted shackles on the wall. Her clothes tattered, bruises and cuts titivated on the stellar mage's figure.

She conceived that she had been captured; the group that had tried to rob her and Natsu had been underestimated. Struggling against the manacles, they clanked against the stone wall, reverberating the sound throughout the corridor.

Suddenly, she witnessed a dark silhouette outside her cell, his eyes piercing into her with rage and malice. He opened the door slowly, taking one small step after the other, towards the defenseless blonde. She looked at him then down to her hip. Her keys were still on her link.

The dark figure looked down; Lucy couldn't get a good glimpse at him. "We're killing Salamander." His voice deep and intimidating. His statement made Lucy's eyes widen, her still frame beginning to shake violently. She wanted to believe in Natsu, like she always had, but something about this man seemed to negate her hope.

He continued. "And you will remain here as my prisoner." The dark man pulled out a whip; similar to the one Lucy received from Virgo. He snapped it together making the blonde shudder in fear of what was to come. He cocked back his arm, and then lunged with great power against the stellar mage's torso.

She let out screams of pain as he relentlessly attacked her, blood and pus both festering out of her fresh wounds. His sinister smile marked his face pleasurably seeing the spirit mage struggle. His whip cackled against her soft skin, braising it harshly.

Lucy called out for the one person that always came for her, but Natsu was nowhere to be found. The dark mage stopped, putting the whip away only to pull out five more items, all identical to each other.

Her eyes were blurry from the pain-induced tears, but she saw them. Five leather bound straps with razors all lined inside them. He kneeled down in front of the blonde, slowly wrapping the serrated blades around her ankles. The cell filled with cries of anguish as the jagged edges punctured her skin.

He wrapped them around her ankles and wrists, placing the last one on her neck which stimulated the loudest shriek.

"No one's coming." The dark mage continued to brutally torture her for the duration of the time.

* * *

The mountain of Dragil was over headed by overcast, followed by a light rain. Juvia and Gajeel waned in the forest next to the mass. The water mage concentrated for a few seconds, then turned to Gajeel. "Juvia has found 5 powerful mages in the mountain; one of them holds overwhelming strength." She paused for a moment, before her eyes widened. "Juvia has found Lucy-sama! She's with the very strong mage!"

Gajeel stared at the mountain in front of him, trying to sniff the air for anything that resembled Lucy. He shuddered at the putrid smell he had found, before realizing it had faint traces of vanilla. "I found her too." He said solemnly. Gajeel didn't like what he smelled, his mind wondered to what they were doing to the poor girl.

The scent he unearthed was a combination of metal, blood, pus, rust, and weak remnants of vanilla. All he knew was that they had to rescue her.

He alerted Warren back at Fairy Tail, who then relayed it to Erza, Gray, and Wendy. "Right, we're on it." Erza nodded to the rest of her squadron, who nodded back. Gajeel transmitted to Wendy to look for a pungent odor with hints of vanilla. The sky maiden shuddered as they scaled the mountain, being hit with Lucy's rancid trace. It was almost enough to make her cry at what caused her aroma to change so drastically.

Erza, Gray, and Wendy silently entered a small chasm inside the mountain, before seeing a metal door. "There." Erza pointed out, Wendy nodding her head slowly in agreement, as the blonde's scent grew stronger. Erza and Gray froze at the strong dark force radiating behind the door.

Gray's breathing began to pick up, his heart beating faster as he swore he saw blackness seeping through the cracks. Wendy closed her eyes, wishing she didn't have the heightened senses of a dragon slayer. Titania hardened her resolve, yanking on the giant metal ring to pull it slightly ajar.

The darkness emanated greater, causing even Erza to falter back a bit. The smell of the inner chambers made her stomach twist unnervingly; she bit down knowing Lucy was in there. Gray regained his composure, taking Wendy's hand. The blue haired healer grasped on tightly. The red headed knight took a deep breath, and walked in, memories of the tower of heaven filled her head due to the relatively.

Gray and Wendy reluctantly trailed behind her, darkness engulfed their bodies entirely. Erza's eyes widened at the horrors she witnessed as she passed the abandoned cells. Feces were scattered among many of the cells, blood stains adorned the walls and pooled in certain spots. She looked back at the poor sky maiden, who was trembling with each step.

The visionary and auditory senses of Wendy's mind began to take in the repulsive scene that lay before her. It overwhelmed the innocent girl's being, causing her to faint. Gray immediately caught her, and cradled the young dragon slayer in his arms. He looked at her with sorrow, wishing she had never been exposed to this sight in the first place.

Erza closed her eyes, steadily decreasing the rapid breathing that was occurring. She frowned at the blue haired mage as well, then turning to analyze Gray's condition. His face was twisted with disgust mingled with fear, a look that the red head didn't think he was capable of.

His eyes grew steely, but his frame didn't cooperate. The two Fairy Tail members didn't think a dark guild like this ever existed. They kept treading on, remembering to check every cell, quietly.

Lucy, in her half-unconscious state, heard footsteps drawing in closer and closer to her. She took on a fearful expression and turned toward the wall, her knees pulled up to her chest. The spirit mage began to tremble, her pulse shocking her into stillness.

Three figures appeared outside her chamber, making her shudder with fear.

Erza and Gray both looked at the quivering shadow that compressed itself against the back wall of the sect. Gray silently opened the cell door, still carrying the young healer in his arms, and took small steps toward Lucy.

The spirit mage quickly tried to compress herself more, "Stay back!" She weakly commanded. The ice mage stopped in his tracks, Erza stared in disbelief at what they had done to her comrade.

Lucy's clothes had been slashed in various places, rips and tears all along her thin shirt, her legs covered in lashes and cuts with blood pooling in between her thighs. Her ankles and wrists perforated harshly with the damaging bracelets ornamenting them.

The rusted blades inside the leather straps infected her skin around them, turning it to an oragnish pink hue. The blonde's eyes were filled with tears, recognizing her fellow guild members at last. "Erza! Gray!" She tried to get up, but stumbled, screaming out in pain at the prison jewelry.

"Hold on." Erza kneeled down beside the mangled spirit mage, untying the bangles on her wrists and ankles. The blonde shrieked loudly, making Erza and Gray cringe. Her cries of suffering made both of their eyes fill with tears. Gray spotted the last brace on Lucy's neck, causing him to almost involuntarily vomit.

The neck brace had caused her skin to fester around the afflicted area, turning it into a pinkesh purple. The wound had grown bigger as well, indicating it was going to be a challenge to take off. "Lucy…" Gray said to himself as he felt a lone tear go down his cheek.

The ice wizard tapped the red head on the shoulder, before shakily pointing to the wound on her neck. Erza's eyes grew as she took in the horrific injury. She gulped as Lucy calmed down her screaming. "There's one more. Okay?" The armor mage quietly alerted the broken blonde. Lucy looked on in dread, anticipating the searing pain that was about to transpire.

Moments later, Lucy was panting from the aching burn her neck had just endured. Wendy Marvell recovered from her collapse. The first thing her eyes spotted was the mangled form that was supposed to be Lucy Heartfilia. Gray dropped the wind mage down onto her feet, rushing to place her hands on the blonde. Lucy shuddered out of instinct at Wendy's sudden action, but quickly began feeling relaxed at the healing hands of her comrade.

Lucy wounds began knitting themselves closed, the gashes and slices evaporating under the power of the sky dragon. The blonde looked up when Wendy's hands had moved away from her, a soft smile crossing her lips.

"Thank you, Wendy." The celestial mage wrapped her arms around the sky maiden's small figure; Wendy returned the favor with enthusiasm. Lucy marveled at the returned strength instilled within her.

The group ran out of the malevolent passage, back into the chasm where they had first landed. Erza's eyes narrowed seeing four mages waiting for their return. Lucy immediately recognized one of the mages, the leader of the group of robbers. Three other powerful mages accompanied the leader, all bearing a dark smile at the fairies.

"Lucy, stay back, you're in no condition to fight right now." Erza commanded, readying herself for attack. The blonde reluctantly took a step back, Wendy, Gray, and Erza formed a wall in front of her.

"Oi, we'll fight too!" Gajeel and Juvia appeared behind the four enemy mages, walking up a safe distance from them.

"I thought I told Salamander to come alone." The leader from the previous night said, peering straight at Lucy. The memories of torment sprung up in the recesses of the blonde's mind. She teared up at the recollection, her body shuddering horrendously in the presence of the dark mages.

Gray noticed the weakened stance of the stellar mage, "Don't worry Lucy. There's no way in Hell we're letting them get away with this."

Lucy salvaged a little bit of confidence at the ice-mage's declaration. "Is that so?" One of the dark mages voiced. "We're going to make you pay!" Erza vocalized her anger. Lucy noticed the darkened expression that came over the red head's face. Much like the one when she saw Minerva.

The blonde stood still, finally thinking about the sentence the leader of robbers had uttered. _Where's Natsu…_

* * *

**So that's the chapter, the next chapter will be the last one. Hope you guys liked it, review so I know what I can work on and give me some ideas!**


	9. Fallen

**AN: Okay I lied haha, the next chapter will be the last, decided to make this a ten chapter story!**

* * *

**Within the Fairy Sphere, Natsu and Mavis broke away from training to rest. **

_Huff huff_ Natsu panted exasperatedly as Mavis watched him. "Natsu, I'll only be able to teach you one of them."

The fire mage rid himself of his exhaustion, gritting his teeth and clenching his fist, "That's not going to be enough."

Mavis raised an eyebrow at him, before turning to the mountains. "You'll die if you try to perform all thre-"

"I don't care! I'd risk everything for Lucy!" The dragon turned his head sideways, wishing he had controlled his outburst. The first master remained unmoved.

The Fairy Sphere had been obstructing both the dragon and the master, only those with the Fairy Insignia were able to see them. Its radius was 20 feet, Natsu and Mavis had been training in it for what felt like months.

"I can only expand so much time." Mavis broke the silence, turning back around with a grim expression. "It'd be dangerous to imbue all that magical power into you when we only have a limited amount of time."

Natsu's glare took point, his poised stance embellishing the confidence that always seemed to be readily accessible to him. It was apparent that not only was the Salamander's strength well known across the land of Fiore, but also his stubbornness. Mavis Vermillion was witnessing that first hand.

"I'll do anything… Please."

The founder's eyes widened at his pleading voice. His tone was soft, almost desperate. The look in his eyes matched the sadness that he was portraying.

The cute mage smiled at him, walking toward him as he stood solid. She softly touched his arm, a huge light illuminated, blinding the dragon. "Don't succumb to the pain."

The battle inside the mountain's chasm had ended; Fairy Tail emerged victorious against the four dark mages. Erza's armor had been worn down severely, while Gray was shirtless with a lot of cuts and bruises.

Juvia and Wendy were both sitting, panting from the intense battle that just occurred. Unexpectedly, the water mage sat straight up. "The strongest mage is up there." She pointed to the mountain's peak, her rain still lingered slightly.

Lucy frowned deeply, sitting in a balled-up shape. "I'm sorry…" she muttered under her breath, making everyone turn to face her. "Lucy, we'd protect you no matter what. We'd give our lives for you."

The blonde still sat in silence, contemplating on her weakness and inability she's displayed in past battles. This was no different. Her eyes filled with tears, "I'm so weak!" She cried out, everyone mustered up their strength to make their way over to her.

The spirit mage felt arms around her small frame, the warmth of her body increased significantly. It was Juvia, her favorite water mage/love rival. She pulled back, only to gaze in her eyes. "Juvia does not think Lucy-sama is weak. Lucy's strong."

Lucy cried against the beautiful, infatuated-with-Gray mage. Everyone hardened their resolve, turning their sights to the peak. "Let's go everyone!"

It wasn't long until they settled to a plateau at the peak of the mountain. It was barren and flat, like it was meant as a battlefield. The group saw one man standing, his back turned.

"Welcome, Fairy Tail." He spoke confidently, still staring out into the distance. "Who are you and why did you kidnap Lucy?!" Erza's cheeks flushed with resentment, her eyes glaring scarily at the mysterious man.

The man turned around to face them; his garb was black, with a pointed cape much like Porlyusica's. He wore black leather pants, hemming at the very bottom. His chemise black as well, a deep V exposed his chest, almost. His hair white, you'd think he'd be a Strauss sibling. The top half of the cape had imitated dragon teeth that pointed up behind his head.

Looking at him, he didn't have an evil appearance; it was in his aura that you'd find the malevolence. His dark appearance was only strengthened with the pressure of power he exerted. The force was so great, it made Gray and Wendy fall onto their knees. Erza peered back, but only for a moment.

The man chuckled, "I am the Dragon Keeper." His pupils radiated a red similar to Titania's hair. He scanned over the person who had questioned. "Ah, the Great Titania, Queen of the Fairies. I'm honored." He mockingly bowed at her, still laughing softly.

"You bastard." Erza closed her eyes to stop tears from falling. "YOU'LL PAY FOR MESSING WITH FAIRY TAIL!" She charged him promptly, surprising everyone at her Natsu-like response.

"Re-quip!" She had materialized into her ability armor; red pants with the flames, and medical paper forming a make-shift bra/shirt. The man quickly changed his appearance, the smile disappearing altogether. Erza swung at him with her sword, the force so great it indented the ground.

Everyone watched as dust surrounded the red head and keeper. They waited anxiously for it to clear; the sun was shaded by a cloud passing by. Eyes widened at the sight of Erza being held by her throat, her form motionless as the dragon keeper smiled wickedly.

"Is this all you have, Titania?" She was tossed violently back to her origin, the group caught her, and Wendy put her hands on the red head, Gray checked her pulse. She was unconscious thankfully; everyone shifted their gaze from Erza to the Dragon Keeper. _How are we going to win… all of us are worn out… _

Gray then looked back at Lucy, whose fearful expression gave him the drive he needed. _We'll win. _

"Everyone! If we attack him all at once, he won't be able to defend himself against all of us!" Gray took on Erza's role, everyone nodded, Gajeel and Juvia both readied themselves. Wendy casted "Arms!" and gave them all strength with the last of her own.

The man waited, uninterested in their exploits. "Where's Natsu Dragneel." His voice under toned with slight irritation. Everyone stopped in their tracks at the mention of their comrade's name. Lucy's face was stricken with worry for her fire mage.

"What do you want with Natsu!?" Gray retorted back, the man didn't bother looking at the ice mage; instead, he focused his malice-filled gaze at Lucy. "I told you, didn't I? I'm killing Salamander."

His sentence penetrated Lucy's subconscious, instantly replaying the torment the Dragon Keeper had dealt to her. She pointed shakily, "You!... You're the wuh- one!" She stammered, her memories deconstructing her confidence by the second.

The man smiled bigger, remembering the same thing Lucy did, but initiating a different response. The group watched Lucy's face warp into the same way they had found her. Everyone beared in mind the pain they witnessed on the poor blonde.

"I don't have time to waste with you fairies. Tell me where Salamander is." The Dragon Keeper's patience was running thin; the group repositioned themselves to attack.

"We'll never tell you! You'd have to kill us first!" Gray led the charge, readying his Ice magic. "Ice Make: Twin Swords!" He encapsulated an ice sword onto his elbow, then his arm, swinging at him with everything.

"Water Slicer!" Juvia made sure not to hit Gray as she released a speedy horizontal stream of water.

"Iron Dragon Roar!" Gajeel sucked in air, before spouting out a gray vortex of wind.

The man stood there, all attacks were on target. Wendy looked up from the unconscious Erza, to watch the assault. Dust once again made a temporary smoke screen, everyone puffing out in exhaustion.

_Clap, Clap… _

Everyone looked at the keeper simultaneously, seeing a huge grin on his face. "Geez, after all that fighting, who knew you still had that kind of power!"

His applaud stopped when he held out both his hands. "But unfortunately, I'm going to have to end it here. Pulse." His hands released shockwaves of a mysterious force, everyone awaited for a visible attack.

They all froze.

_My.. my body… _Gray thought to himself, analyzing his still frame, then looking up at the dragon keeper. He opened his mouth, but couldn't make a sound.The ice mage collapsed, along with Gajeel. Juvia had already fallen unconscious.

Wendy soon followed her fallen comrades, falling on top of Erza. Before she knew it, Lucy was face to face with her assailant. A wicked grin came across his face, taking step

by.

step.

toward her.

Lucy backed up in accordance, her body quaking violently. "No one's coming." His voice pierced through her soul once more. The stellar mage's legs gave out under her, as she crawled backward away from the keeper.


	10. Fairy Art

**AN: Alright, so this chapter's pretty cool I think. lol. It's late over here, so I'm not sure if I'm just sleepy or this really is a good chapter.**

* * *

The Dragon Keeper didn't take his gaze off the blonde, his eyes narrowed at her, making her feel like she was being ran through a thousand times. Lucy knew this was the end, this man, this dragon warden, was too strong for any of them.

But there was one thing she needed to do. As the keeper drew closer, she called out, hoping, wishing, praying that her cry would be heard.

She closed her eyes as the darkness began to enshroud her, but was soon rescued by light. Her eyes opened slowly; surely she had been killed instantly and she had been sent to the Golden Plains. But to her surprise, she saw a boy that resembled Natsu, but didn't have the same familiarity. The mage had pushed back the dragon keeper, becoming the indestructible wall to guard Lucy.

"So you've finally come, Natsu Dragneel."

Lucy looked up at him, but only his back. She immediately noticed the whole new attire that gilded his body. His vest was now black and red, zigzagging across the parallel axis of waist. His pants were jet black, but stopped at his ankles. His hair had grown out slightly as well; the pink locks and spikes bushier than before.

Natsu remained silent, not even glimpsing at Lucy. Instead, he looked over to see his fallen comrades, a look of anger crossing his face.

"What have you done to my friends."

His tone was stern, his glare unwavering at the cape-spiked mage.

"It's been awhile, hasn't it Salamander?" The keeper completely disregarded his question.

Natsu furrowed his eyebrows, "I don't know who you are."

The Dragon Keeper frowned at his response, seemingly disappointed that Natsu didn't remember him.

"Now I'm going to ask one more time. What have you done to my friends."

The dragon keeper bore an angry expression at Natsu, "I put them in a nightmare." He paused to chuckle to himself. "The longer they stay in the nightmare, the shorter their life becomes."

Lucy gasped in horror, finally bearing an angry expression at the keeper. She turned to look at Natsu, who astoundingly remained un-phased.

"Natsu, be careful." The blonde's voice quietly made its way to the pinkette's ears. He nodded vaguely before engaging into a battle position. "You're going to pay for everything you've done."

This time the dragon keeper was the one to attack first, "You're mine Salamander!" He dashed toward the pinkette, only to be stopped at the loss of his target. "What?!" Natsu promptly ripped through his cape to grasp the warden's neck.

He held him up, his dragon eyes imbued with a new fire that _almost _instilled a bit of fear into the keeper. Suddenly, the caped man melted out of Natsu's clasp.

"My magic is illusion." A voice behind the dragon slayer arose. Natsu stood motionless for a minute, before slowly turning around. He stared at the illusionist, annulled of all emotion in his eyes. The dragon keeper found it odd, then irritating.

Natsu hadn't even set his fists on fire like how Lucy was used to. He just stood there, unarmed, unparsed, and a bit uninterested. Lucy watched his blank face, wishing that he'd fight seriously. _What's wrong with him?... _

"You're not taking this seriously. Your friends will die in a matter of hours if you don't kill me." Natsu still remained stoic. His eyes rendered empty.

"I'm waiting." The pinkette said absent-mindedly. "Well I'm not wasting any more time." The illusionary mage darted toward the dragon slayer once more, this time hurling a fury of fists. Natsu matched blow for blow with ease, not even directly looking at his opponent. The flurry only raged harder at the negligence of the fire mage.

"FIGHT BACK!" Natsu then looked at him directly, smiling. "It's ready." Was all he said before sending a punch right into the keeper's cheek. It sent him flying back, almost knocking him off the highland.

Lucy beamed at seeing Natsu push him back. Her smile only widened when he walked up to her and kneeled down. "Luce…" Though Natsu hadn't seen all the wounds and lesions that had garnished her body, her scent had still smelt like her rotting cell. He smelt the similar scent that came off the keeper.

He hugged her tightly; the blonde slowly kissed his cheeks. He pulled back to look at her face, she giggled, "You look different."

He smiled softly at her statement. "Yeah I trained with Mavis for a few months." She looked at him with confusion, he realized his mistake. "I'll explain it later haha." She felt everything return to normal seeing his smile, the smile that would drive her to the ends of the Earth.

"Isn't that cute." The dragon keeper got up, rubbing his cheek. "You got lucky this time, but it won't happen again."

"There's not going to be a next time, you bastard." Natsu was finally back, his right arm glowed brightly. The keeper looked at his arm suspiciously. Mavis was watching from afar, _I wonder if it'll be strong enough.. Fairy Glitter is a powerful attack. _

Natsu seethed with anger, which his arm responded to by glowing brighter. "My Guild! My friends! YOU WILL PAY FOR ALL OF IT!" His voice echoed miles and miles, as his spell was finally ready.

"Fairy Art: Dragon Reign."

* * *

**AN: So this isn't the last chapter, I just like stringing you guys along haha. Next one though, will be the last chapter. I can't stretch it out any farther. **


	11. Dragon Reign

**AN: The final chapter is here, thanks for reading guys :)**

* * *

The skies darkened, remnants of Juvia's clouds came clustering back, overshadowing the mountain once more. A sphere began encasing the peak in its center. The span was 2 miles long; Natsu's arm grew brighter as the Fairy Tail mark plastered itself onto the side of the globe.

Mavis was perched on a tree from a distance, watching the sphere even surround her. She was confused, _why Fairy Sphere? _Before watching with shock at the guild mark disappearing. The dragon slayer began changing the globe from a soft yellow to a scarlet red, replacing the guild mark with the dragon seal.

Lucy looked around her, remembering this was the same spell used after Acnologia's attack. The Dragon Sphere had finally been complete, the keeper froze searching around him. _When did he become so powerful… _

Fireballs and sparks were emitted from the clouds, raining down onto everyone in the sphere. The keeper's eyes widened, before laughing boisterously. "You're going to kill your friends along with me!"

Natsu stood unshaken, he watched his comrades be set ablaze with the falling fire. Lucy looked up at the pinkette in desperation, "Natsu put out the flames!"

He didn't listen; he simply kept letting the clouds continue their action. Fire and brimstone collided into the side of the mountain, making it rumble violently.

"He's using an illusion, Luce." Natsu calmly replied, the dragon keeper clenched his fists realizing this wasn't the same dense fire mage from before.

"This is my version of Fairy Glitter, but I'm going to need your help for the last one."

Lucy was puzzled; puzzled at the fact that Natsu had learned all three of Fairy Tail's most powerful spells, that he manipulated them using his dragon slayer magic, and that he needed her help for Fairy Law.

The pinkette walked up to Lucy. And pointed. "The Dragon Keeper we see right here, is also an illusion. He ran when I punched him in the face."

He stuck out his hand, with his stupid grin on his face. Lucy gladly took it, and he pulled her into a tight embrace, they faced the direction of the keeper. Their bodies were tightly together, and their hands grasped, both directed at the warden. The keeper shuddered, realizing this was the end.

The real keeper was below the mountain, but he knew that ever since he got caught inside the sphere, it was all over. "Unison Raid: Celestial Flames!" Both their voices pierced through the air fiercely, as a huge golden flame washed over every single space within the sphere. The Dragon Keeper only smiled, _Natsu's gotten stronger, it'll only be a matter of time until he catches up to you… Zeref. _

His body was engulfed in the purifying inferno, burning up every cell within his being. Nothing was left of the dragon keeper except ashes.

Natsu collapsed from all the magic he used, feeling a hand on his shoulder as soon as the battle ended. Mavis looked down with him with enthusiasm. "That was amazing! You used all three!" Her small form jumped up and down, praising the pinkette for his effort.

"Well I can't take all the credit; you're the one who taught me!" He smiled at his eager master, who tried imitating his smile. Then she turned to Lucy, "And you helped perform Fairy Law! Well, sort of! What'd you two say it was? Celestial fire? Yeah!" Mavis clapped excitedly, waking their comrades.

"What happened…" Gray rubbed his head as he sat up from the rocky ground. He saw Natsu, but hesitated calling out to him. "Oi! Did you beat him?" The ice mage had stood up and walked over to him. "Of course I beat him, popsicle!" He yelled back, earning himself a huge smile from Gray.

"Damn I can't believe I missed the fight." Gajeel was helping Juvia up,

"Good job Natsu-san!" Wendy lightly praised, before her demeanor shifted. "Everyone, Erza's still not waking up."

The group turned their gaze to the unconscious redhead, watching her abdomen rise and fall slowly.

"We should just bring her back to the guild and-"

"ERZA WAKE UP!" The pinkette shook her violently, before coming up with an evil idea.

She began squirming at Natsu's new action, before laughing really hard. "Natsu stop it! It's not funny! Ahahaha!" She woke up as the dragon slayer stopped tickling her. He smiled softly at the red head, who narrowed her eyes at his new appearance.

"You look older…" She said to him, sitting up but not taking her gaze off him.

"Yeah I know, it's all this hair!"

Mavis smiled softly, "Natsu and I trained inside a fairy sphere. I was able to extend the time to 6 months given the time we had."

Everyone watched in disbelief at the first master's power, writing a mental note to never make her mad, if that were possible.

Natsu then focused his stare on Lucy, smiling at her. She wanted to hug him so badly, thank him for everything that he did, but she didn't want to pull him away from the group.

"Natsu-san did really well!" Juvia clung onto Gray's arm, smiling wildly. They all sighed,

"Let's go home everyone."

Back at the guild, Natsu didn't feel right. The fact that he tried to leave them for a long time without alerting anyone was still present, so he decided to do the one thing he resented most: apologize.

He walked up to the middle of the guild, standing on one chair. "Oi, everybody listen!" Alternatively, nobody paid the dragon slayer mind, they kept up their conversations.

"EVERYBODY SHUT THE HELL UP!" He immediately got responses after that.

"I wanted to say…" His voice was losing strength, and he began quaking under the pressure.

"Yeah, yeah, we know you're sorry hot head." Gray sat across from him, smirking at his best friend's face.

"Don't interrupt me, Snowman!"

"You paused in the middle of your sentence, Flame brain!"

"You trying to start something?!"

"Yeah let's go!"

And with that, the two mages began throwing fists at each other, collectively picking up other fighters in their quarrel. The pinkette didn't notice that Lucy had not been at the guild.

The blonde stellar mage made her way back to her apartment, the sun already gone down. She bit her lip at the thought that she wasn't able to thank her fire mage, that everyone was going to start wanting to be around him more, meaning less time with her.

She sighed as she walked into her room, dropping her things at the doorway. She was beat, but was still going to take her daily bath.

The blonde made her way over to her bathroom, not even checking her room for her intruder. She turned the knob on the tub, rushing hot water into it. Her clothes dropped as she tiptoed into the warm water, feeling a relaxed sensation once her body was fully submerged.

She dipped her head down into the water, closing her eyes fully to think of a certain dragon slayer. And like magic, she felt something or someone land on her head, while hairy legs rubbed against her own.

"Hiya Luce!" Natsu's stealth was like any other. She opened her eyes, seeing Igneel's scarf wrapped around like a headband. Then below that was the boy she loved, grinning at her with his hand up.

Happy sprawled out on Lucy's head, kneading his small claws into her scalp.

"Hey Natsu." She murmured, still a bit sad that she wouldn't see him as often now that he was the most powerful mage at Fairy Tail.

"Hope you don't mind if we bathe with you!" His tone was back to how she was used to.

"I don't mind."

She saw his hand place on her shoulders, before turning her around and pulling her small frame into his. She jumped faintly, before leaning into the dragon's chest. The steam in her bathroom only grew denser as the body's met. They both began falling asleep.

Lucy was the first to wake up, realizing that her Natsu were still in the tub. And when she looked down, it got worse. The water had evaporated all into steam, leaving them completely nude with their bodies pressed together.

The blonde's face burned a million shades of red, slowly turning around to see if Natsu was awake. He wasn't; a wave a relief came over her as she struggled to break from his grasp. She couldn't, much to her dismay.

She just sat there, almost breaking down and crying at her predicament.

_Should I wake him? _

She shook her head at the stupid thought, knowing either way that she was going to be exposed anyway.

Suddenly, Natsu wrapped around Lucy's waist tighter, and heaved her up as he climbed out the tub. Lucy was frozen with shock, thinking he was awake. She turned only to see his eyelids still shut.

_He sleepwalks?!_

Natsu carried her out of the bathroom, and walked straight for the bed. Lucy shuddered and squirmed against his grasp, but gave up realizing it was futile.

He pulled back the covers and laid the stellar mage down first, on her side away from him. He got in soon after, instantly falling motionless as soon as his head touched the pillow. A small smile came across his face.

"Natsu you better not be awake!" She loudly whispered, his soft snores alerted her that he wasn't faking.

She wanted to get dressed but there was no way of getting out of bed without waking the dragon, so she scooted as far away as possible, not wanting to feel any contact.

Natsu responded unconsciously by scooting closer to the source of warmth. Lucy's mouth went agape as she tried to compress herself against the wall.

The fire mage reached his destination and wrapped his arms around her curvy waist. She stifled a yell of shock from his calloused hands rubbing against her belly button.

Her eyes flew behind her to watch Natsu, biting down out of anger and embarrassment. She kept watching, and shook fiercely when his eyes opened.

"Oh, hey Luce." His voice was soft, just like before.

"Happy birthday." He kissed her cheek softly, making her blush wildly.

_He remembered… _

Lucy had even forgotten today was her birthday. She was surprised Natsu didn't though. Her anger vanished into thin air, and she turned her head more toward him. She looked up into his eyes, before crying tears of joy.

"Thank you for everything, Natsu." She turned over completely, and hugged him with force. Natsu pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Of course, you don't know how special you are to me."

He smiled and she pulled away to look at his face once more, slowly closing the gap between their lips. Natsu crashed his lips into hers, immediately trying to open Lucy's mouth to fit in his tongue. She let him in as her tongue went to meet his.

He pulled away; a blush appeared on his cheeks.

He curled his arms around her more, and she wrapped her arms around his back.

_Tell him! No I can't… Yes you can! _

"Natsu…"

He made a hushed 'hm' at her, signifying her to continue.

"I lo-… I love you." Natsu felt the spirit mage's body begin to shake with fear, so he relieved her instantly.

"I've always loved you."


End file.
